Saint Paul of the Cross, Saint of the day for 20 October

Saint of the day for October 20th
(3 January 1694 - 18 October 1775)

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History of Saint Paul of the Cross

Born in northern Italy in 1694, Paul Daneo lived in a time when many considered Jesus a great moral teacher, but no more. After a short stint as a soldier, he devoted himself to solitary prayer, developing a devotion to the passion of Christ. Paul saw in the passion of the Lord a demonstration of God's love for all people. In turn, that devotion fueled his compassion and sustained a preaching ministry that touched the hearts of many listeners. He was known as one of the most popular preachers of his time, both for his words and for his generous acts of mercy.

In 1720, Paul founded the Congregation of the Passion, whose members combined devotion to Christ's passion with preaching to the poor and rigorous penance. Known as the Passionists, they add a fourth vow to the traditional three of poverty, chastity and obedience, to spread the memory of Christ's passion among the faithful. Paul was elected superior general of the Congregation in 1747, spending the rest of his life in Rome.

Paolo della Croce died in 1775 and was canonized in 1867. Over 2.000 of his letters and many of his short writings have survived.

Reflection

Paul's devotion to the Passion of Christ must have seemed eccentric if not bizarre to many people. Yet it was that devotion that fueled Paul's compassion and sustained a preaching ministry that touched the hearts of many listeners. He was one of the most popular preachers of his time, known for both his words and his generous acts of mercy.